Companies and celebrities alike are being given the opportunity to protect their names from porn hijacking prior to the launch of the .xxx top level domain.

As of today, brands can request their name to be blocked from being used with the new suffix.  Existing adult sites can also submit their application to reserve a .xxx domain.

The .xxx TLD will go live next year.

This suffix is being rolled out with the intention of making it easier to find (or avoid) online sexually explicit material.

Brand and IP holders who want to register now have a 50 day “sunrise period” to submit their advanced applications.

Individuals and companies who do not want their name associated with pornography will be able to pay a one-off fee between £100 and £200, dependent on which company their register with.

After the initial sunrise period is over, a “land rush” period will begin, running for 17 days.  This allows prospective adult sites to register for the remaining .xxx addresses.

Following that, the .xxx domain name will be open to public registration on a first come, first served basis.